Insight, Inspiration, and Intelligence for Leadership and Change

October 20, 2012

I recently
had the opportunity to participate in the first stage of a strategic planning
workshop for a community organization where I volunteer. The session was
facilitated by Jim Haudan, CEO of Root, a company that specializes in
strategy planning, execution and employee engagement.

Jim is also
the author of an excellent book, The Art of Engagement, an extremely useful resource to
organizations and leaders looking to take their strategy process from paper to
action with employees engaged along the journey.

I’ve
participated in many strategic planning sessions over my career and facilitated
some as well. But the unique aspect of Root’s process (I’ve participated in
more than a few that Jim has facilitated) is its emphasis on the power of a
picture in each phase of the process.

An example
of the impact of an image in the process is in building shared meaning among
the group. Words like “excellence,” “vision” or even “strategy” mean different
things to different people.

Look at
these two pictures:

When you say
the word “bear” two very different images can come to mind. Expanding the
concept further, a bottle of aspirin (Bayer) or a baby’s “bare” bottom can be
conjured up. Without clarity or shared meaning, one concept of “excellence” can
mean different things to different people.

Root’s
“Learning Maps,” focus on pictures, and the premise of creating shared meaning among
participants, has transformed strategy and culture from large multi-national
corporations to small not-for profits across the globe.

I’m looking
forward to continuing the process.

What do you
think? Do you have a clear picture of where your strategy is taking you?

October 12, 2012

This is a guest post written by Elizabeth Conlisk, Vice President of Communications and University Relations for Big Ten Network (and, full disclosure, Elizabeth is my sister).

When I first moved to Chicago for my job just over five
years ago, I knew one person. It didn’t really matter for about the first 11
months because I was working nonstop to help launch the Big Ten Network. Any
free time was spent sleeping, working out or fulfilling family obligations. (Lots
of graduations that year!)

So, when the dust settled from all that hubbub, I lifted my
head up and realized that it was time to make some friends, time to build some
connections in my new city and time to build my community.

The first thing I
did was start a book club, which had been such a source of friendship back in
Columbus. I’ve had the same experience here. Not only was I able to convince
two of my first new friends here to join, they and others have brought their
friends. And don’t tell my Columbus book club, but the Windy City Book Club is
my favorite ever.

Making some connections was next on my list. I joined a
couple of professional organizations and met some people who graciously
introduced me to others in their networks.
I’m a part of a Midwest communicators group that consists of other PR
professionals who give me insight into their worlds which can be very similar
to, and very different, from mine.

And I frequently attend inspirational and
informative talks. Chicago Ideas Week is this week and I’ve heard some amazing
speakers give their views on innovation and disruption.

But building a community for myself has been a bigger challenge.
I’m happy getting together one-on-one with friends and neighbors, but have
wanted to connect with something bigger than myself, with others who have a
shared purpose.

One step I took was joining the Chicago board of the Positive
Coaching Alliance, which helps students, parents and coaches be “better people,
better athletes.” Given the role sports played in my youth and adolescence and
how it plays such an important role in my professional life, joining PCA made
perfect sense. And it’s been rewarding to see our chapter grow over the past
year.

I think I’m on the right track, but feel there’s more I can
do to really and truly create the life I want to live.

October 06, 2012

I just
completed my first week in my new position as President of St. Ursula Academy and Junior
Academy. I now work with 587 young women striving to be their very best
selves and faculty and staff who are truly committed to making that happen.

This week
also marks the start of high school visitation and recruitment for potential
candidates to next year’s freshman class. The emotion in the building was
contagious as the girls, faculty and staff showed all the best that SUA has to
offer. Tours, parent meetings, and an incredible, spirit filled pep rally
marked each day.

It was emotional for me as well, coming back
to my alma mater and feeling a bit like I had never left. But at the same time
bringing with me a lifetime of career experiences.

The theme
for the week was set up by our wonderful recruitment video, “I CAN”, encouraging each girl to reach to achieve their potential, whatever
that might mean for them.

40 years ago, as a young girl interested in pursuing accounting
and business, in a then male dominated field, SUA instilled in me the belief
that I CAN and now I have the
opportunity to see it the eyes of these young women. And believe it myself as I
take on this new and very different role.

Whether you
are 16, 36 or 56, believing in yourself and striving to do what you do best is
the foundation for much of life’s success.

The white paper took an incredible amount of time and effort, but in the
end, the document and all it represents, is a source of tremendous pride.

When we formed the CPACA, each of us members understood
the power of collaboration. We knew that in theory, “the sum of the parts was definitely
greater than the whole.” And over the
last six months, we practiced what we preached, working together each step of
the way for the ultimate purpose of making a difference in the accounting
profession.

It wasn’t always easy. Each of us has incredibly busy schedules and
businesses that need our full attention. Each of us has our particular personality,
background and experience that add perspective and opinions on how things should
work. But we made time. We debated the issues. We dealt with challenges head
on, with honesty and openness and a willingness to listen to and support each
other.

As I embark on the next leg of my
career journey and say farewell to the members of the CPACA, I know I will miss
this group, their passion for CPAs, and all that I learned from them through
our collaboration.

The CPACA’s mission is “to explore leadership issues facing the profession and develop
and share solutions that benefit
practitioners. CPA Consultants' Alliance members support each member’s growth and collaborate to
make a difference in the
communities we serve.”

We did just that.

I’m proud of our work and I know that the CPACA, through all of
our amazing members, will be an example of outstanding thought leadership in
the accounting profession for years to come.

But as a leadership development
coach who has worked with many leaders during their transition into new roles,
I have to remind myself to practice what I preach. What do I mean?

According to
research and best practices on leadership effectiveness, the first days in a
new position are critical because small differences in a new leader’s actions
can have a huge impact on long-term results.

Whether you’re a
hire from the outside, as I am, or an existing employee who has been at an
organization for a while, it’s important that the new leader take the time up
front to quickly diagnose a your situation, understand its challenges and
opportunities, establish priorities and manage the key relationships that will
help you succeed.

So my real start
date was the minute I accepted my new position.

There are two
resources I have utilized with my coaching clients who are entering new roles. The
first, Michael Watkins’ The First 90 Days, provides an
excellent roadmap for a new leader. The second, The New Leader’s 100
Day Action Plan by Brandt et. al. offers a similar blueprint that includes practical
tools to help you implement your plan.

Here’s a very brief summary of the concepts
that Watkins shares in The First 90 Days. He outlines 10 key transition
challenges that will help you navigate your road ahead. They are:

Promote
Yourself — get yourself mentally ready to step into your new role. Shift your
mindset and perspective and embrace your new position.

Accelerate
Your Learning — figure out what you need to learn and identify up front your
best available sources of insight and information and learn what you need to
learn in the shortest amount of time.

Match
Strategy to Situation—not every situation is the same. This transition
challenge requires you to assess just what you are facing. The book outlines
four different business situations that will allow you to match the appropriate
focus and response to needs of the organization.

Secure
Early Wins—in this step, the new leader tailors early initiatives to build
personal credibility, establish key relationships, and identify and harvest
low-hanging fruit-the highest –potential opportunities for short term
improvements in organizational performance.

Negotiate
Success—proactively work to understand with your new boss just what success
looks like. You will have greater clarity and a sense of focus for your
efforts.

Achieve
Alignment—this step requires a focus on analyzing the architecture of your
organization. Assess alignment among strategy, structure, systems and skills.
You will likely not be able to do this immediately but it should be included in
your 90 Day plan.

Build
Your Team—begin by assessing your team, looking for congruence with strengths
and needs of the organization. Then work to build team trust and cohesion. You
will also need to put in place goals, incentives and performance measures that
will propel your team in the desired direction.

Create
Coalitions—consolidate existing sources of support while developing
relationships with those whose resources or connections you need to succeed.

Keep
Your Balance-- build your support systems and keep your personal disciplines.
Starting new is challenging and stressful. It’s important to remember to keep
this important balance.

Expedite
Everyone —if there are other new leaders in your organization, share these
steps with them. Share your plan as well.

Regardless of the
tools or resources you use, if you are anticipating a promotion or a move to a
new assignment, planning your first three months in your role is a must. I’ve completed
a first draft of my 90 Day Plan and have already accomplished some of my action
steps.

What do you
think? What has worked for you when you transition into a new position? I’d
love to hear about strategies you have used in your first days and months in
your new job.

September 12, 2012

“Go confidently in
the direction of your dreams. Live the life you’ve imagined.”

~Henry David Thoreau

Dear Friends,

Over the last six years, I’ve had the privilege to work with
many outstanding leaders and teams, helping them to reach their highest
potential. My work has been about the positive aspects of change: personal growth, learning, building resilience
and increasing emotional intelligence.

Coaching my wonderful clients and
meeting all of you have been so rewarding and a very natural expansion of my
previous career as a practicing CPA and management consultant.

I now have a fantastic opportunity to continue my career
journey along a different, yet exciting path. I will be assuming the role of
President of my alma mater, St. Ursula Academy and Junior Academy. SUA is Toledo, Ohio’s oldest all-girls
Catholic high school and is built on a foundation of educating the whole young
woman: academically, spiritually, physically and emotionally.

I’ve been passionate about the mission and vision of St.
Ursula since my high school graduation nearly 40 years ago. Each of my three
daughters is an alumna. I’ve been a volunteer, booster and former board chair.
So when the opportunity to lead the school as its President arose, I felt a calling
to serve.

My financial background, leadership development coaching, and
consulting expertise, along with my love of the school, was a combination I
couldn’t resist. And the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of
nearly 600 young women is foundational to my decision.

Mary
Conlisk ‘74

St.
Ursula Academy

I will begin my role October 1st and will honor
all my coaching and commitments through January 2013. Although my external coaching will end, I intend to
continue this blog, The Leadership
Notebook.

How lucky I have been to have met each of you along this leg
of my career journey. I hope our paths cross again soon but please accept my
sincere gratitude for all I have learned from you along the way.

September 07, 2012

Great leadership doesn't require
a diploma or a degree. It's not reserved for some elite group of people. Leadership
can be something for everyone to embrace, from administrative assistant to
janitor to manager to CEO.

Leadership is about so much more
than strategy, operations and marketing. It's about discovering and
understanding each team member's potential (as well as your own) and finding
ways to tap into that resource, something many managers neglect to do.

On leaders, wise man, Lao Tzu suggests:

"A leader is best when people
barely know he exists. When his work is done, his aim fulfilled, they will say:
we did it ourselves."

It
sounds simple and it is. But no one said it was easy. For many people, leadership
based on inspiring and encouraging others requires a shift in mindset and
perspective. It requires a shift to a mindset and perspective that fundamentally
believes in their employee’s capability, value and ability to positively contribute
to the organization.

And it
also requires a focus on channeling their employee's intelligence and passion to engage
them in accomplishing their goals; goals that are aligned with the goals of the
organization.

Whether
you’re the boss or the employee, in order to inspire leadership, try these simple
(but not easy) suggestions:

1. Establish trust.
Leaders need to create it and employees need to, well, trust. If your words and
actions are just lip service, employees will know and steer clear. Do what you
say you will do. It is the foundation for all leadership. When trust is built,
employees can move forward with confidence knowing that they are on a solid
foundation.

2. Build understanding.
Employee empowerment is not an event. It’s a philosophy with specific
strategies that allow staff to make decisions that directly affect their job.
Employers need to be in it for the long term and employees need to consider how
their decisions may affect the company.

3. Establish clear boundaries. When the leader is away, what decisions can staff
make? Remember, assigning responsibility without authority can be a leadership
killer. Make sure everyone knows who is leading whom. If you're an employee,
make sure you get clear direction before assuming responsibility. Knowing your
boundaries allows you to be proactive in your actions and decisions.

4. Encourage. Second guessing the decisions
of staff that have been given the authority to make those decisions undermines
the entire process. Will mistakes be made? Of course. But shoot down an
employee and see if anyone ever steps up with a critical idea or decision that
takes the company's success to the next level.

Empowering employees is a
powerful way to motivate staff. It allows them to get passionate about
challenges and inspires them to step up with new ideas. It's a win-win
situation. Left uninterrupted, this cycle repeats, encouraging passionate and
skilled people to step up and make decisions about how to best serve customers
or clients, which ultimately benefits the bottom line.

Knowing and believing you can
lead regardless of your level is an incredibly powerful feeling. What do you
think? How do inspire those you lead to lead as well?

I write and speak often about the concepts of emotional
intelligence and the impact your EQ skill level can have on your career
(and your personal life.) Specifically, I’ve discussed an EQ topic that is affectionately
called an amygdala
highjack: that point when your lizard brain takes over and your emotions
cause you to say or do something that can lead to regret, embarrassment and outcomes
that are often worse.

But there’s an opposite side of that coin: stuffing your
emotions. Refusing to be assertive or even express what you’re feeling can be
just as career-limiting as “popping off.”
That’s what’s happening to my
client, Dan (not his real name).

Dan’s EQ
2.0 self-assessment reflected low scores in emotional expression and assertiveness
and a high score in impulse control. Not an emotionally intelligent
combination.

During our results review session, Dan shared his boss’s negative 360
feedback, which pretty much confirmed Dan’s self assessment. And according to
his boss, Dan’s lack of emotional expression and assertiveness is severely
limiting his career progression.

You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to understand the mental
and physiological cost of stuffing your emotions. But there are additional costs as
well. Here are a few more:

To relationships and trust: Relationships and trust are both built on two-way communication and sharing.

To perceptions: Sometimes this behavior can be seen as predictable or
calculated, often sending the wrong message.

To respect and influence: It’s difficult to have influence and garner respect when
those you lead don’t know where you stand.

What Dan (or You) Can Do

1. Become
more aware of the types of emotions he has trouble expressing at work and
understand what triggers them.

2. Look
for a role model who he feels successfully expresses their emotions. He should
seek their advice and perspective on what works for them.

3. Tap
into his skills in empathy and emotional self awareness to pay more attention
to how others react when he does express his emotions.

4. Understand
what situations cause him to be less assertive than he should be. What
situations make him cave?

5. Sometimes
when we don’t speak up, it’s because we are mired in thought when others want
action. Think about that in advance of making a decision. What information or
evidence will you need in order to feel comfortable acting.

Aristotle was right. It is
difficult to express your emotions to the right degree at the right time for
the right purpose in the right way. We know that an emotional explosion is not
the right approach but neither is stuffing them.

Emotional intelligence skills CAN
be learned. In fact, ultimately, your career success counts on it. Just ask
Dan.

August 24, 2012

It’s back to school time. Lots of parents I know are
experiencing the angst that comes with their child’s first day of school.
Whether its kindergarten, high school or the start of college, regardless of how
old they are, these “firsts” generate lots of emotion for us as parents. These
changes bring with them excitement, pride, sadness and of course a good dose of
worry.

For me, this year’s back to school season brings with it a
“first” of a different nature. Our daughter, Emily, just landed her first “official”
career job. Oh, she’s had part time jobs and summer internships but this is her first
job post law school and she’s headed to Washington DC in a week to start.

Emily,
our third and youngest child, is officially on her way and headed out into the
world to make her way. And with Emily’s departure, the last of the Werner’s will be “launched.”

It’s bittersweet for us. My husband and I know that our job as parents has not
come to a close but rather enters a brand new chapter. But it seems like yesterday.......

As I was sharing my emotions at the closing of this chapter,
a colleague reminded me of Kahlil Gibran’s wisdom On Children included in The
Prophet.

Maybe you need a reminder as well.

On Children Kahlil Gibran

Your children are not your children.
They are the sons and daughters of Life's longing for itself.
They come through you but not from you,
And though they are with you yet they belong not to you.

You may give them your love but not your thoughts,
For they have their own thoughts.
You may house their bodies but not their souls,
For their souls dwell in the house of tomorrow,
which you cannot visit, not even in your dreams.
You may strive to be like them,
but seek not to make them like you.
For life goes not backward nor tarries with yesterday.

You are the bows from which your children
as living arrows are sent forth.
The archer sees the mark upon the path of the infinite,
and He bends you with His might
that His arrows may go swift and far.
Let your bending in the archer's hand be for gladness;
For even as He loves the arrow that flies,
so He loves also the bow that is stable.

So get your bow ready. It’s comes up fast and bending it is harder than you think.

August 17, 2012

“Patience is not passive. On the contrary, it is active. It is concentrated strength.”

~Edward G. Bulwer-Lytton

I had a coaching meeting this week with “Rick,” a Partner of a very successful CPA firm. For some background, Rick is a “go getter,” operating with a sense of urgency in everything he does. This style worked well for Rick in the early years of his career. He could be relied on to get stuff done and that sense of urgency translated into great productivity.

That was then. Now as a Partner, Rick must get work accomplished with and through others. That’s difficult to do when you haven’t taken the time to build relationships with or develop others. When you rush about, not listening or connecting with those individuals you lead and rely on to deliver great work.

Rick has realized that in order for his practice to grow, to continue his success at work, he needed to make some changes.

Thus Rick came to me for coaching to build his self-awareness and get a handle on his impatience and de-motivating leadership style. Rick embraced the coaching from the beginning, learning about himself through self assessments and the questions we discussed during our coaching sessions. In addition he focused on practicing patience in his daily interactions.

Not only has he been practicing patience at work, he’s also been practicing patience at home with his wife and three young children. He had a real chance to practice with his kids on a recent family vacation. In fact, Rick just got back from an 8 day trip. All five of them traveled in a minivan to 6 different cities throughout the south. Yikes! This would be a true test….

So, this week, it was a special bonus and a surprise to read a note written to me by Rick’s wife on what a difference his new found patience has made for their family, especially on their recent vacation. “Calm,” “engaged” and “thoroughly enjoyable” were some of the words his wife used to describe the “new Rick.” The kids even commented on how fun Dad was. Rick’s response: “For that reason alone, it is definitely worth all the hard work and practice.”

Very cool.

The letter is a great reminder that while our work behaviors are important to our “success,” how we show up in our personal life can be every bit as impactful.

What about you? Are you aware of how your behaviors impact others? Do you rush through life, never stopping to connect or be fully present to others? What are the implications at work AND at home?